Second scheduled shutdown brings back one of the network’s only problems: the caster service that is almost never done as the factory sends. The Toyota network has already been reviewed twice in the recent history of the Long Run, with Etios (in 2014) and Corolla (2015). In both cases, we experience in practice what the owners value most in the cars of the brand: the high quality after-sales. However, we have seen that the famous network still has a point to evolve. It happened with the Etios, with the Corolla and it happened again with the Prius : when making the tire rotation, most dealerships simply forget that Toyota recommends the inclusion of the spare tire. That is, every 10,000 km, the wheel and tire assembly that was in the trunk passes into a taxiing position. It was like this in the first review of the Prius, at 10,000 km, and again now, at the second, at 20,000 km . “The oil is at the correct level and the filter is also new. But the caster was made in a conventional way, only alternating between the front and rear axles, without switching between the right and left sides, “said our technical advisor, Fabio Fukuda, as he surveyed the newly released press from the second review. You should buy mercedes-benz indoor car covers for the safety of your car from strom.

The same measuring step allows you to include the fifth tire in the Prius caster Standard procedure in the Long Run to avoid the return to the network for such a simple correction, caster errors are remedied by Fukuda himself, with the wheels installed according to the factory. From the Prius review, Sun North charged exactly the suggested value on the Toyota site: $ 624. We paid another $ 83 for the cabin filter replacement that was, in fact, saturated. We took advantage of the stop to install a glass film at Sun North itself, for $ 350. Before, however, we had budgeted the same accessory in the Sorana, Collection and T-Line concessionaires, which charged us, respectively, R $ 380, R $ 390 and R $ 450.

Understand the three types of hybrid cars

Toyota Prius and Ford Fusion Hybrid are hybrid type mixed and cannot be recharged in one outlet because they are not plug-in. The future of the car seems to be increasingly electric, abandoning the old combustion engine, polluting, inefficient, and more than centennial. Options for electric vehicles have been appearing on the market since the 1990s, bringing the much-needed independence between transportation and oil. In this sense, the hybrids are presented as an interesting option, since they do not depend exclusively on electricity, making the middle ground in this modernization process. And for that, there are three types of hybrid cars available in the market. Compared to ordinary vehicles, these cars reduce emissions and consumption, although they do not completely remove the driver from the petrol stations. The combustion engine is still there, but it has the aid of an electric motor. So they have two engines. The types of hybrid cars are the hybrid-parallel, hybrid-series and hybrid. Each one needs more or less of the battery, which changes its operation and also its price. The BMW i8 is an example of a hybrid-parallel car and plug-in (BMW | Disclosure) Ricardo Takahira, from the electric and hybrid vehicles technical committee of the Society of Engineers of Mobility (SAE) of Brazil, explains that the battery represents a large part of the price of a hybrid or electric.

Currently, the component costs about 40% of the total price of the vehicle, and in the past, it reached 60%. Because of this, the more a vehicle depends on it, the higher its cost. In parallel hybrids, both the electric motor and the combustion engine generate traction to move the wheels of the car. Therefore, it is said that the two work in parallel. Generally, the electric is connected to the front axle, and the rear axle is driven by the combustion engine, explains Takahira. It is also possible that both are on the same axis, but this makes the system more expensive because it requires more sophisticated electronic controllers. Examples of hybrid-parallel are the Honda Insight and the BMW i8 , which is also plug-in. In the hybrid-series , only the electric motor generates traction, and the combustion engine is used to power the battery. As the car is not able to ride directly with gasoline or ethanol, it needs a larger battery than the hybrid-parallel, so it will be more expensive.

The Toyota Prius is a mixed hybrid (Toyota | Disclosure)

Finally, the hybrid-mixed has the most complex structure of the three. Takahira explains that an intricate electronic set evaluates, at full time, the conditions of the vehicle and the course. It decides the best time to use the combustion engine or the electric. The driver can also choose which one to rotate through a menu. See Boris driving the Toyota Prius and explaining how a hybrid-mixed works in practice. In hybrid-mixed, the battery should also be large, and it is a more expensive vehicle. Examples are the Toyota Prius and the Ford Fusion Hybrid , the best-selling hybrids in Brazil. In all three types of hybrid cars it is common to install regenerative braketechnology . It allows the energy dispersed when the brake is used to be reused to recharge the batteries, contributing to the overall efficiency. And the types of hybrid cars plug-in? When we talk about a hybrid-plug-in, we’re talking about how the batteries are powered, regardless of the structure that drives the wheels. Therefore, any of the three types of hybrid cars can be equipped with this source of electricity. The plug-in is like an outlet on the vehicle, where you plug in a power cord. The cable may be of a special type, to be used in electrical equipment, or common, to be connected to a residential outlet. According to Takahira, autonomy tends to be more restricted in these cars. In the plug-in hybrid, the batteries can be charged through a wire connection, such as a plug.

In Brazil, the four plug-in models available are high-priced: BMW i8 , Porsche Cayenne S-Hybrid , Porsche Panamera E-Hybrid and Volvo XC90 T8 Hybrid . Takahira clarifies that the structure is not attractive to the region, as we do not have the necessary infrastructure to recharge the vehicle during a trip or longer route. Autonomy, therefore, is an important factor when it comes to hybrids and electric. Vehicles that are purely electric have a longer range, and can ride an average of 300 kilometers without recharging , according to Takahira. Some models can even go over 400 kilometers. Therefore, their batteries are larger than those of the hybrids, and they are more expensive. A mixed hybrid, for example, has an electric range of about 40 kilometers . No hybrid car can only be used with electricity all the time. All depend on the combustion engine, fueled with gasoline or ethanol, explains the specialist. One of the latest news is the mild-hybrid. The mild-hybrid are some vehicles equipped with hybrid technology, but where the electric motor is not strong enough to pull the wheels. In general, a starter motor is used that manages a start / stop system. Thus, the engine shuts off when the car stops, but electrical devices can continue to run. The batteries are smaller, which makes them cheaper, but electricity makes only a small saving in consumption, from 8% to 10%. The system works in the hybrid-parallel format, but there is no electric traction, just a combustion engine aid. In comparison, there are full hybrid , which are the types of hybrid cars that can only ride with electricity, even for a short time.

A Brief History of Hybrid Cars

The term hybrid, technically, refers to a car that makes use of more than one technology to move. In the most common usage, however, is the combination of the old combustion engine with an electric motor. The Toyota Prius was the first hybrid produced on a large scale, and launched in 1997 in Japan (Toyota | Disclosure). In this sense, the first hybrid produced on a large scale in the world was the Toyota Prius, launched in 1997 in Japan. In Brazil, the first to arrive was the Mercedes-Benz S400 in April 2010, followed by Ford Fusion in October. Only in 2013 the Prius appeared here. Today it is coming out for $ 126,600 and has seven cousins equipped with the technology available in the market , of which is the most in account. Although it looks like something of the future, the world’s first hybrid is old. According to the HybridCars , the first electric vehicle was invented in 1839 by Scotsman Robert Anderson of Aberdeen. Already the first hybrid with combustion engine and electric was the Elektromobil, developed by Ferdinand Porsche and Jacob Lohner in 1896. The Elektromobil is considered the first hybrid of the world, and was invented in 1900. (Reproduction of the internet). The Elektromobil had an electric motor on each of the four wheels and a combustion engine that operated as a generator to recharge the batteries. So he was a serial hybrid type. 300 units were sold, and throughout the twentieth century various hybrids and electric alternatives passed through the history of the automobile, many selling various units.

The Myths You Need to Knock Over Hybrid Cars

How is the power? Is it possible to travel long distances? How do you charge?

Hybrid cars have two engines, one fuel-fired and one electric. The two can work separately, or together, according to the desire of the driver and the need of the place. Is not it great? Yes, hybrid cars have many advantages, one of the main ones being the reduction of around 90% in the emissions of polluting gases. But they still suffer from some myths. See below:

1) Power

It is true that the electric motor is less potent than the combustion engine, but why the hybrid becomes such an interesting alternative. By establishing a “partnership” between the two engines, it has the possibility of reducing pollutant emissions without affecting power. A good example is the Volvo XC60 T8, the hybrid model of the Swedish automaker. The electric motor has 87 horsepower, and works along with the combustion engine, with 320 horses, to reach 407 horsepower. With this, the car goes from 0 to 100km / h in just 5.3 seconds. In slow and heavy traffic places, only the electric motor can run.

2) Charge the battery

What good are the features of a car that runs on battery power if it is difficult to charge it? There are models where the electric motor is powered by the combustion engine, but the autonomy is usually small. But plug-in options solve this. The Volvo XC60 T8 can be loaded into an outlet that can be installed in the driver’s house. Between three and seven hours, depending on the current, the battery is full.

3) Long distances

Taking the road is a pleasure for those who love to drive. Those who have cars want to have the option of traveling long distances without any major concerns. With the limited autonomy of an electric motor, the mission becomes almost impossible. Just use the combustion engine in a hybrid car so that this problem is overcome. In the Volvo XC60 T8, there is the possibility of activating the Hold function when the driver wants to save battery power. Thus, the load stays the same and the car moves normally – and for long distances where gas stations are the only alternative to supply it.